WATCH: Students Map Haiti from UNC Library

On January 12, 2010, a magnitude seven earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings and displaced 2.5 million people.

On October 22, 2015, UNC students met in Davis Library, some 1,200 miles away from Haiti, to assist relief efforts by creating a map of the devastated region.

The students were participants in a Humanitarian Mapathon organized by the Research Hub at UNC Libraries. They used satellite and drone imagery to trace out roads, buildings, and landmarks onto a computer-generated map. A volunteer in Haiti will eventually confirm or correct the students’ work. The data contributions are available as a guide for those living, working, and providing aid and development in the region.

A Humanitarian Mapathon at UNC on October 22, 2015, helped create maps to assist relief efforts in earthquake-damaged Haiti. The effort was organized by the Research Hub in Davis Library.